Safety device for submarines



Jan. 5, 1932 N; A. HATCH 1,340,094

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUBMARINES Y I Filed May 29, 1930 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IMNTQE 659m fim c// (Bl Jan. 5', 1932. HATCH 1,840,094

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUBMARINES Filed May 29, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 5, 1932. N, T H 1,840,094

SAFETY DEVICE FOR susmmmns Filed May 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan; 5, 1932 PATENT OFFICE" UNITED STATES] NELSONA. HATCH, OF BARRINGTON' PARK, NEW JERSEY SAFETY DEVIC m smamunnns Application filed may 29,

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a safety device forsub marines and has for its object to provide means of escape forthe occupants of a sunken submarine in distress.

Another object of the invention is to so.

attach a small air-tight boat to a submarine that access may be readily had from the mterior of the submarine to the interior of said boat.

A still further object of myi'nvention is to provide means for thecasting-off of the-small boat from the submarine.

lVith these and other ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specificallydesignated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the artto v which this invention appertains may understand how to make and usethe same,I will describe its construction in detail, referring b numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in

- which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a submarine partly broken away to show the interior arrangement thereof for gaining access to a small boat. 7 1

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental section of Fig. 1 the small boat being partially in section.

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged section of v the escape shaft andthe passageway or tunnel leading thereto. r

Fig. 4 isa still further enlarged view of one of the screws forcastiug 013? the small boat from the submarine.

Fig. 5 is a detail diagram of a portion of the tunnel showing the escape opening and the position of the attaching bolts and cast off bolts. 1

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the rear portion of the submarine showing ajslightly modified form of my invention in which the detachable boat is secured in a suitable well formed in the submarine and showing the tunnel for gaining access to the detachable boat positioned on the inside of the hull of the submarine. I

" plates.-

1930. Serial, No. 456,976.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 5 illustrating the arrangement of the tunnel relative to the detachable boat and the means of access from said tunnel through the side of said boat.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, 10 represents a submarine having a tunnel or passageway 11 superimposed upon the deck thereof and this "tunnel has an open ing 12-which serves as an outlet therefrom andto the top of this tunnel is attached in the manner hereinafter explained an emergency boat 13 having a, manhole in the bottom thereof adapted to be closed by the plate 14,'

the flanges 15 of-which are seated upon the packing ring 16, the platebeing held in place by the pivoted bolts 17 and the thumb nuts l8'run upon said bolts, the bolts passing through the notches 19 formed in the plate.

" 20 represents a casing extending into the submarine and serving asa shaft through -which persons may pass from the interior of the submarine to the emergency boat and the lower end of this shaft is adapted to be closed by the plate 21 having any suitable means "for securing it in place to prevent water from' flowing downward through the shaft into the submarine, and on each side of this shaft withinthe tunnel are also losated plates adapted to close thetunnel against the fiow'of waterfrom the shaft into said tunnel. 20a are a series of shafts corresponding to the shaft 20 but comunicating at diflerent points with the tunnel throughout its length and also adapted tobe closed by suitable Around the man hole closed by the plate 14 are formed the bolt holes 23 into which are threaded the-bolts 24 for attaching the IOU ladders into said shafts, thereby gaining access to the tunnel from whence they may pass through the man hole to the interior of the emergency boat.

In order that there may be no uncertainty in the casting off of the emergency boat from the'submarine when occasion requires, 1 provide the relatively large threaded push-off bolts 28, each of which bolts is threaded through a cap 29 and passes through the stuffing box 30 so as to prevent leakage at this pointand the lower ends of these bolts impinge upon the deck of the submarine, by which arrangement when the attaching bolts 24 are backed off from the holes in which they are threaded so as to detach the emergency boat from the submarine, the proper manipulation of the push-off bolts 28 will force the emergency boat upward from the roof of the tunnel thereby effecting the positive cast-off of said boat.

The emergency boat is provided with the escape man holes 31 adapted to be closed by the plates 32 and is also provided with glass covered port holes 33 to give light to the interior of the emergency boat when the same reaches the surface of the water and this boat should also be provided with seating capacity, such as one or more benches 34.

35 represents an observation tower, suitable steering mechanism 36 and a motor 37 for driving the propeller 38 in order that when the boat reaches the surface of the water, it may be driven and steered to some desired destination.

The interior of the hull of the submarine may be divided in compartments by the parti- ;ions 39 through which the passageways 40 are formed, said passageways adapted to be closed by the doors 41, thus providing against the entire submarine being flooded at one time and one of the shafts 20 and 21a communicates with one of these compartments.

In practice, the inner ends of the shafts 2O and 20a are left open as well as the upper end of the shaft 20 and also the plates 22 are left out of position so as to give free access and air circulation between the interlor of the submarine, the tunnel and the emergency boat and to avoid the delay necessary to open these passageways when an emergency occurs.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my invention will be obviously as follows When a submarine has met an accident while submerged or which will cause the submerging thereof, the crew climbing the ladders 27 will gain access to the tunnel through the shafts 20 and 20a and from thence may pass into the emergency boat. The last person passing up each shaft closing the lower end thereof with the plates 21 and the last person passing into the emergency boat fitting in place the plates 22 and after all of the crew has passed into the emergency boat, the latter is detached from the submarine by backing off the bolts 24, thus permitting the emergenc boat by its buoyancy to rise to the surface 0 the water. Should the emergency boat fail to cast off when released, the proper manipulation of the push-off bolts 28 will force it to do so.

When all of this has been accomplished, the emergency boat is propelled and steered to a place where the crew may disembark through the man holes 31 by the removal of the plates 32.

It is also obvious that a wireless telegraph apparatus may be installed in the emer ency boat so that should it not have capacity to reach a point of safety for the crew, it could send out an S. O. S.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a slight modification of my invention, in which a well orspace 42 is formed in the deck of the vessel of the proper size and shape to receive the emergency boat 13 so as to reduce the skin friction in the navigation of the submarine, and when this design is used, the tunnel 11a is located immediately beneath the deck of the vessel and communicates with the side of the emergency boat through the hatch-way 43, all other elements of my invention remaining the same.

By the use of my invention in connection with submarines, the liability of loss of life in the case of accidents to the submarine are reduced to a minimum since the crew has within its power to escape from the submarine to the emergency boat, cast the same 011' and seek a place of safety.

Of course I do notwish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is In a device of the kind described, a submarine boat having shafts or hatch-ways, a tunnel superimposed upon the deck of the submarine from stem to stern, said shafts or hatch-ways communicating with said tunnel and an emergency boat dctachably secured on top of said tunnel intermediate its ends, the interior of said emergency boat being normally in communication through its bottom with the interior of the tunnel, and means to close the opening in the bottom of the emergency boat for making the same water tight.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

NELSON A. HATCH. 

